Saturday, June 5, 2004

Apple Ups The Ante (Again)

Apple, despite its meager position in the domestic PC market, has done more than its fair share to define the digital music industry (especially for a company that, until a little over a year ago, was not a part of the digital music industry).

iTunes music player and its integrated music store, for Mac and PC, has set the bar for the distribution and merchandising of online music. The iPod, Apple’s tiny hard-drive-based portable music player (variously, depending on model, capable of carrying 1000 to 4000 songs) has become the most prolific and mimicked device in its market. HP, Dell, Napster, Connect…they’ve all been left rushing to catch up.

Time to reset the mark. Apple’s upped the ante again.

Now you can enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house without an iPod and headphones.

This June, Apple released AirPort Express – the latest incarnation of its wireless network product – the world's first 802.11g mobile base station. With AirPort Express you can wirelessly share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer, create an instant wireless network, or extend the range of your current wireless network – all improvements on the previous generation of AirPort.

But what AirPort Express brings to the table that is so exciting is AirTunes, an AirPort Express feature that plays your iTunes music wirelessly anywhere in the home or office. Just connect AirPort Express to your existing stereo system or a pair of stand-alone powered speakers and use iTunes to select where your music will play. It’s mind-blowingly simple.

AirPort Express with AirTunes performs all of this wireless magic on both Macs and PCs for just $129. And here’s something you can take with you – the new AirPort Express Base Station fits in the palm of your hand, weighing less than 7 ounces.

So how does it work?

When you select an AirPort Express device (a stereo or set of speakers) in the new iTunes 4.6 interface, that device becomes the primary audio-output source for iTunes. Music from your iTunes library, from someone else's networked library, or from your iPod will play from your Airport Express-connected home stereo or speakers. And this ability isn’t limited to MP3s or M4Ps. Any media playable by iTunes – including Internet radio streams and audiobooks – are now playable through AirPort Express using Apple's Lossless Compression technology.

Will AirPort with AirTunes replace the home stereo any time soon? Not likely. But, as the analog camera has become endangered by the digital one and CDs are threatened by MP3s and M4Ps, stereo receivers had best be on their guard. fb

A Perspective on Reagan's Funeral Procession

A unit proeceds the casket processionalRonald Reagan's casket processionalThe riderless horse following the casket processionalI learned recently that I am not a cynic. I always thought I was. For years I looked at my half empty glass and wondered why everyone was concerned about a glass with water in it. This is to not say that I was never happy. I have always been, and remain, a very happy person – I have always enjoyed life’s little things. But now I know that the big picture can touch me as well.

I was standing on a wall of the American History Museum in Washington, D.C., trying desperately to get a better view of the advancing procession. As my girlfriend and I peered over the heads of people in front of us I wondered what I was doing there. I mean, what do I care? He died. It happens all the time to public figures I know just as well – or as little – as I knew Ronald Reagan.

The soldiers marched down in rows, looking impressive as ever. They came to a sudden and dramatic stop, standing at full attention in the blistering heat. I was hot in shorts and a tee shirt. Tthese guys must have felt like the Earth was ending and hell fire was raining down from the sky. They stood there at full attention for what felt like an hour. The officers pulled some of the soldiers out of their lines to let them cool off and drink some water that pedestrians freely handed them. Everyone cheered as they were pulled off in a show of great support and humanity.

Eventually the soldiers were on the march again. There would be a lot more soldiers to come. And then there were all of the limos – they seemed to stretch forever. Black, unmarked cars that US officials are known the world over for driving. I can only imagine what foreign dignitaries and US officials filled them.

A growing sound began to pass through the audience. I could feel it wash over me. Soon it was no longer just a sound; it became a deep feeling. The beautiful horses drawing the carriage and the casket passed by, invoking an emotional response in me that I was surprised to find. The flag-draped casket brought a feeling of pride and awe in everyone. The lone rider-less horse that trotted behind the casket, agitated by the events and pulled by a Marine, brought a tear to my eye and a feeling of loss.A feeling that we, as a people, lost something that day. That America lost something that day.

I went to the parade thinking that this would be something I could tell my future grand kids about. The crowds annoyed me and I wondered how long it would take us to leave with sp many people in front of us. After the parade everything had changed. I realized I was not a cynic after all. I felt the sadness of the passing of a great man – and I feel like a better man for having felt that. fb

Viral Marketing is for Superheroes

Viral marketing online is now so commonplace we often overlook it. Viral marketing is usually described as marketing that depends on a high pass-along rate from person to person. If a large percentage of recipients forward something to a significant number of friends, the overall growth snowballs very quickly and the marketing is broadly seen as successful.

Often times, these campaigns take on a humorous slant. While websites like Hotmail and Yahoo really made viral marketing what it is today, more entertaining campaigns have better captured the popular imagination. Reebok’s “Terrible Terry Tate” (critiqued in issue 2003.07) and Trojan Condom’s “Trojan Games 2004”represent an entertainment trend in viral marketing that has spawned not only large scores of user visits, but also a genuine fan base.

And when viral marketing works, it works big. Success stories from Reebok and BMW, in particular, abound in marketing trade publications and online case studies. But when it goes wrong it can be crippling.

Ford’s recent Sportka ad that – rightly or wrongly – was distributed as a viral campaign backfired on the US automaker. The ad, designed for a UK audience, featured the sunroof of the Sportka decapitating a curious tabby cat. Bad publicity abounded, animal-rights groups complained, and Ford and its advertising firm apologized and pointed fingers at each other.

American Express recently launched an ambitious and impressive online video viral marketing campaign that has the advertising community and millions of Internet users abuzz. German automaker BMW pioneered the use of online videos in product promotion in 2001 with their series of short web-based films made by top-name directors like Ang Lee and Jerry Bruckheimer. Like the BMW films, American Express’s online film features big names and entertaining content with a subtle product message.

In late May, American Express launched the second in a series of four-minute webisodes featuring Jerry Seinfeld and DC Comic’s Superman. Found exclusively at www.americanexpress.com/jerry. "Hindsight is 20/20" is the second installment from "The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman." The first webisode, "A Uniform Used to Mean Something," set in New York City, debuted on the American Express website in March 2004.

Both webisodes were co-written by Seinfeld and directed by acclaimed film director Barry Levinson (Rain Man).

"Hindsight is 20/20," shot on location in Death Valley, CA, follows Superman and Seinfeld as the two set out on a cross-country road trip in one of Seinfeld's legendary vintage cars. As in the first installment, the two continuously banter, engaging viewers in a hilarious snapshot of the unique friendship between comedian and Kryptonian. While Superman nears his wit's end trying to open a pesky pistachio and deflects questions from tourists about Green Lantern, Seinfeld tries to get The Man of Steel to reveal the origin of his moniker. When trouble ensues in the middle of the desert, it is Seinfeld who saves the day by employing Roadside Assistance, one of many services provided to American Express Cardmembers.

In "A Uniform Used to Mean Something," Seinfeld's DVD player is snatched. Superman apprehends the thief but fails to catch the machine when the thief tosses it back. It crashes and breaks. No problem, Seinfeld says. His American Express card will enable him to exchange it. As the video ends, an ad for the card appears.

"The first webisode proved to be a great way to build consumer interest in our brand, and demonstrate our Card benefits in a lighthearted way," said John Hayes, American Express' Chief Marketing Officer. "We are excited to present the sequel so fans can enjoy more comedic adventures of Seinfeld and Superman."

Visitors to www.americanexpress.com/jerry are treated to a unique interactive experience: The cozy living room of a New York City apartment, complete with a view of the Empire State Building, candid snapshots of Seinfeld and his superhero pal, a clickable Broadway show program (a very entertaining sing along), and more. In addition to viewing "A Uniform Used to Mean Something" and "Hindsight is 20/20," visitors will find behind-the-scenes footage from the making of both webisodes and content related to American Express Cardmembership.

According the American Express, the campaign has three objectives: branding; getting people to sign up for American Express cards; and helping those with cards understand what's available to them.

But a fourth objective appears to have been in mind, if left unstated: to make great entertaining films. And we’re not the only ones who think so.

"A Uniform Used to Mean Something" launched March 29. For seven-days thereafter the American Express site had nearly 2.4 million at-work visitors, a rise of 31 percent over the previous week. At home, the site received nearly 1.7 million visitors during that same period, compared to 1.5 million the previous week, according to Nielsen//Net Ratings.

The "The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman" sub-site was visited by an average of 19,500 users each day between March 30 and April 7, peaking on April 7, with about 32,000 visitors, according to comScore Networks. By April 12, there had been over a million visits to the sub-site.

American Express is promoting the online campaign via sponsored links on Google, postcards, wrapped newspapers, and15-second teasers running on cable and network TV during Seinfeld reruns and primetime lineups. On April 16, 2004 thousands of LidRocks, tiny DVDs of the Seinfield/Superman video atop of soda lids, were distributed in New York movie theaters for four weeks. A second LidRock campaign is to follow for “Hindsight”.

Matt Lauer interviewed Seinfeld and Superman on the Today Show March 30; Seinfeld also appeared on Jon Stewart's late night Daily Show on April 5. Traffic to the American Express site spiked after both appearances.

But American Express was not satisfied, further expanding it’s campaign: In May, "A Uniform Used To Mean Something," aired on NBC before the encore performance of the Friends finale. For a week in June, the same webisode aired on TBS following Sex and the City. In addition, TBS aired a television sneak preview of the second webisode, "Hindsight is 20/20," the week of June 20 to direct viewers to the American Express website. fb